Montgomery Alabama (Central Alabama Gun Club) April 26-27

[DrJohn]

Central Alabama Gun Club hosted not only the IDPA state championship last weekend, but also an Appleseed event remarkable for two things, the small turnout (we had three students, Dennis and Marlene W. and Mike R.) and the enthusiasm and persistence of our gallant students, especially their enthusiasm for the Story of April 19, 1775. As usual, we had  Safety Briefing and Safe Rifle, then went on to the Hits Count! target, Sling Use and Steady Hold Factors in prone, the Six Steps, Natural Point of Aim, Rifleman's Cadence, Talking Targets, Inches-Minutes-Clicks, Sitting and Kneeling, Transition to Prone and to Sitting / Kneeling, and then Standing or Offhand. As would be expected, each student got a considerable amount of one on one instruction, which allowed not only diagnosis of problems, but suggested measures to help overcome problems. Marlene began to wilt because of the heat Saturday and had to withdraw, but Dennis and Mike forged on. After listening to Strikes One and Two at lunch (Central Alabama Gun Club graciously provided us with a free barbecue lunch Saturday), we shot one AQT before hearing Patrick Henry's immortal March 23, 1775 speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses, the "Liberty or death!" speech, as our Saturday benediction. Notably Saturday, a number of participants of the state IDPA match drifted over to see what Appleseed was all about, and we were able to do some Seventh Stepping and make some valuable contacts that should ensure Appleseed's line is full, the next time we return to Montgomery.

Sunday the weather was threatening, so after the Safety Briefing and Safe Rifle review, we shot several squares targets as warmup, before going to the AQT grind. Eventually we shot four AQT targets Sunday before we heard Dangerous Old Men, Brave Women, and Gallant Children at lunch. This instructor is chagrinned to relate that our students requested the two Red Hats demonstrate how we shot an AQT. Morpheus did his usual excellent job with his AR, scoring a very respectable 222. This instructor, I am sad to say, had the same issues with his borrowed .22 rifle as its owner, Dennis W. did, and gave a magnificent lesson on how NOT to shoot and AQT. Our two gallant and steadfast students preferred to slow down the pace a bit Sunday, so the mid-afternoon break was a very brief Actual Distance presentation, before we moved back to 100 yards and re-affirmed that what works at 25 yards, works at 100 yards also. We made sight corrections according to what we learned from the Inches-Minutes-Clicks module, then had fun by shooting a steel target at 100 yards. Friendships made and relationships built, we had our Sunday benediction and said our goodbyes, with a keen eye to returning to Montgomery and the hospitality of Mike and Linda R. and Central Alabama Gun Club.